The last book in a good sci-fi series is, for me, a mixed blessing. On the one hand, I’ve got the last bit of the story in my hands and after that, it’s over. On the other hand, I frequently use this event as an excuse to go back and re-read the entire series, start to finish.

And that’s how I feel about the conclusion to Jeff Somers’ five book sci-fi hit-man-with-a-heart series that started with The Electric Church and now ends with The Final Evolution. Pure cyberpunk-noir, this series started off with hitman Avery Cates getting into a fight and ends with… well, I’m just not going to do that to those of you who aren’t familiar with this, at times, violent and over-the-top ongoing story. Avery Cates is the bad guy that you really hate to love… but given the remaining cast of characters, the corruption, and the overall state of the world he inhabits, he’s not so bad. Really. And my second read of the first four books has been great as I’ve once again got to enjoy the shenanigans of Mr. Avery Cates, Gunner Extraordinaire.